
5 Ways YOU Can Give Back This Christmas
Ahhhh, Christmas. A time for exchanging presents, stuffing your face with your favourite meals, gathering with family & friends, and of course, having sliiiiiightly too much wine. But Christmas is also the season of spreading love, compassion and sharing valuable time with loved ones. This can be extremely challenging for those who struggle to make ends meet.
Thus, why not spend some time giving back this Christmas, and helping those who need it the most this season!?
Every action counts, and can possibly change someone’s life! 💁🏽♀️ 🙌
Below, we have listed 5 ways to give back in the Geelong / Melbourne area this Christmas! 🌟
1. Donate Food & Clothing (just to name a few)
✨ MELBOURNE:
- Sacred Heart Mission Op Shop
- (Clothes)
- Feed Melbourne Appeal
- (Food collection)
- Foodbank Victoria
- (Food collection).
✨GEELONG:
- Christ Church Community Meals
- (Food collection)
- Encompass Community Services
- ( Donations of non-perishable foods and treats, toys, games, books and personal hygiene items, will be warmly welcomed to take the pressure off vulnerable families this Christmas)
- OneCare Christmas Hampers
- Non-perishable food items,
- Hampers
- Toiletries and basic essentials
- The Outpost
- (Food collection: coffee, sugar, long-life milk, canned food & soups, christmas foods such as ham, puddings, shortbread, lollies etc )
✨BOTH:
- Salvation Army
- (Clothes)
- St Vinnies
- (Clothes, kids toys, books, CDs, furniture, accessories, homewares)
- Australian Red Cross Op Shop
- (Clothes)
2. Volunteer with a homelessness support organisation
Give the gift that keeps on giving this Christmas, by volunteering with a homelessness organisation.
Whether it be through The Smith Family, The Salvation Army, St Vinnies, Sacred Heart Mission, Christ Church Community Meals Program, The OutPost, or simply helping out in a soup kitchen, your generosity & compassion will provide immediate help for homeless people at this adverse time of year. 🤎
Volunteering options range from offering emotional support to cooking food or delivering donated items!
3. Foster a Pet
Always longed a furry friend, or wanted to provide a nurturing environment for a pet that’s in desperate need of a second chance ? … Why not foster a pet over this holiday season!? 🐾
Many organisations such as RSPCA Victoria, Pet Rescue and Lost Dog’s Home have fostering programs which give animals (who are not quite ready for adoption) a chance to live and be loved in foster homes. Fostering a pet provides these furry friends a safe environment to recover, restore themselves, grow, and finally learn to be loved. 🥺♥️
Fostering is an incredibly rewarding experience and directly improves the wellbeing of animals – it also grants you the unparalleled feeling of fulfilment, knowing you have played an integral part in changing their life & guiding their journey to their forever home!
4. Attend Vision Australia’s ‘Carols by Candlelight’
We all know that Carols by Candlelight has been a beloved part of Christmas culture in Australia for the past 84 years. Buuuut; did you know that this festivity is also the largest annual fundraiser for Vision Australia’s children’s services – supporting kids who are blind or have low vision, as well as their families?! 🎤
Yep, Carols by Candlelight has provided thousands of children in need with early learning & development programs, braille & tactile learning kits, accessibility services, white cane training, as well as employability programs for teenagers so they can gain an understanding of financial literacy, resume writing and building emotional resilience in the workplace! 🥺
Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight is held at Sidney Myer Music Bowl every year on Christmas Eve. It is here you can gather with your family & friends to raise funds for Vision Australia’s children’s services, while experiencing the magic of Christmas with wholesome carols & your favourite Aussie musicians! 🕯
5. Donate Blood
Give the gift of life this holiday season, by donating blood or plasma to Australian Red Cross’ ‘LifeBlood’ organisation. Red blood cells only last 42 days outside of the body. This means that Australia needs over 1.7 million donations every year to meet such a demand – to break it down, that’s a requirement of three donations every minute!
By donating blood, you are not only lending a helping hand to people with medical conditions that require regular blood transfusions, but are also helping with either: cancer treatments, heart surgeries, kidney diseases, joint replacements, pregnant women & road trauma incidents! 🩸♥️
Did you know that after you donate, you will receive text updates to inform you which hospital your blood donation goes to & how it’s helped another human being! How rewarding! 🤩🕺🏽